KATE, the Duchess of Cambridge, arrived at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) to a welcome from a young girl with Cystic Fibrosis.

The pregnant duchess smiled as she was handed two teddy bears, called Bernard and Wendy, from nine-year-old Ava Watt on her arrival at the children's hospital to pay a special visit to sick youngsters and their families.

During the visit, the duchess met patients and parents before officially opening the latest phase in the institution's redevelopment project.

Addressing a small crowd, which included supporters of the hospital, Kate said: "I just wanted to say a huge thank you for having me here today.

"It's been my first trip to Great Ormond Street Hospital and I've been so impressed with everything I've seen and the scale of the work that's going on here.

Kate was greeted with a gift from Ava Watt, 9, who has Cystic fibrosis

Kate showed her caring side when she came to the aid of a 10-year-old boy who became unwell after waiting three hours in the cold.

Children are at the very heart of Kate and her charity work, and she is the patron of East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices.

Congratulating the hospital and its supporters, she added: "It means so much to the families, both to the parents and the children.

"You can see the real family element that the hospital brings at such a difficult time. So well done."

Ava, who lives just around the corner from the hospital, said Kate told her the teddy bears will be "a lovely present".

She also gave Kate a thank you card with a poem inside which said GOSH "gives hope to so many children and their families" and described it as a "magical place".

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Kate smiled as she chatted to staff and patients at the London hospital

Today, Kate met young patients and their families to hear about their experiences of the enhanced facilities in the completed Mittal Children's Medical Centre.

The centre has transformed the hospital's inpatient facilities and fulfils its goal of providing modern accommodation for all the young patients, and allowing parents or carers to stay comfortably by their bedside.

It was completed over two stages. First the Morgan Stanley Clinical Building was created followed by the recently finished Premier Inn Clinical Building.

During the visit Kate also met staff caring for young patients and talk to clinicians carrying out cutting edge research to help the most seriously ill children.

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The Duchess meets patient Sienna McGuire

Ava's mother Kylie Watt, 41, an opera singer who performed alongside James Corden in One Chance, also met Kate and said she thinks the duchess found the visit "emotional".

Kate visited Sienna Mcguire, who is six months old and has a complex heart and lung condition after being born premature at 33 weeks.

Sienna, from Cambridgeshire, has spent much of her first six months in hospital as she does not have a right lung.

Bending down to see her, Kate said: "You've gone through a lot, missy."

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The duchess also met four-year-old Rafael Chana, from East Preston, who is waiting for a heart transplant.

Rafael told her he likes olives, and Kate said she loves them, adding: "I used to eat lots and lots of olives when I was little as well."

He said he likes pasta, to which Kate told him: "Charlotte likes pasta too."

The second clinical building involved redeveloping and refurbishing the children's hospital's cardiac wing and is now home to a new surgery centre alongside inpatient wards for medical specialties like infectious diseases and cardio-respiratory.

Later Kate, who is patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, will visit Bond Primary School in Mitcham, south London, to see the work of the Wimbledon Junior Tennis Initiative.